Trump Budget Reflects Working-Class Resentment of the Poor

NYT (via MSN) ^ | 03/07/17 | Eduardo Porter

[Drew68]

You could almost hear the gasps from both sides of the ideological divide when President Trump unveiled the outline of his first budget late last month, proposing to slice $54 billion from the discretionary civilian budget next year to pay for a beefed-up defense.

That part of the budget pays for pretty much everything the government does other than the military, pensions and health insurance for older people. And it has been slashed repeatedly already. It adds up to only some $500 billion, hardly the best place to balance a $4 trillion federal budget. After Mr. Trump’s proposed cuts it would be 25 percent smaller than it was in 2010, adjusted for inflation.

Even Republicans in Congress, no friends of government spending, argued that the math made little sense. While they share Mr. Trump’s twin goals of balancing the budget and slashing taxes, they would prefer to square the circle by cutting the entitlements of Social Security and Medicare.

And yet Mr. Trump’s approach possesses a powerful political logic: The frazzled, anxious working-class men and women who voted for him like Social Security, Medicare and defense. Other government spending, not so much. Notably, there is little political cost for Mr. Trump — in fact, potential benefit — in going after means-tested programs for the poor.

These programs appeal to two constituencies that working-class voters show little affinity for: the poor and urban liberal elites who can express enormous sympathy for the disenfranchised while ignoring the struggle of the white working class.

[Drew68]

Reasonably fair, unbiased article of how Trump's budget benefits those who have put in hard work at the expense of the layabouts. Naturally, liberals not happy.

[JohnBrowdie]

didn’t read a word past “gasps”. waaaaaay too dramatic lead for me.

[stylin19a]

After Mr. Trump’s proposed cuts it would be 25 percent smaller than it was in 2010, adjusted for inflation

I don't pay with adjusted dollars, I pay in today's dollar.

so what is the unadjusted percent ?

[BenLurkin]

I ‘resent’ the slant in the biased headline.

Recognizing that less government s better government is NOT a matter of resentment.

[SaxxonWoods]

It sounds like he understands that you strengthen the middle class first. That actually broadens the tax base and encourages people to go to work as wages rise.

Work needs to pay more than welfare. Most people would rather work than be on welfare. So, encourage business and cut welfare.

Win-Win.

[2ndDivisionVet]

You mean the 8th generation lay-abouts on welfare will have to find jobs like everyone else?

[Gene Eric]

The MSM is the Country’s greatest threat.

ESAD, NYT

[Kellis91789]

People keep asking how Trump can get the money for $54B Defense increase and infrastructure and tax cuts. They don’t seem willing to admit that a booming economy with REAL full employment reduces the need for welfare, food stamps, housing assistance, unemployment benefits, EITC, etc.

A booming economy could easily free up hundreds of billions per year just through reduced welfare outlays. This NYT article implies that no matter what happens in the economy, welfare spending must always go UP.

[DoughtyOne]

Never felt guilty about thinking the money I got up and worked for every morning was mine.

This writer never feels guilty about thinking he should get all of what I worked for to gift to others for one reason or any of 10,000 others.

[Hugin]

I’m surprised to see anything this real from the fake NYT.

[Drew68]

I’m surprised to see anything this real from the fake NYT.

The NYT is so out of touch, they don't realize that to those of us who voted for Trump, every word they printed here is music to our ears. They just assumed it would be taken as another hit piece.

[Organic Panic]

We “working class” men and women ARE tired of financing the “poor” and bailing out the politically connected.

[eartick]

So President Trump is not from the Nancy Pelosi school of thought, that if you are unemployed and drawing an unemployment check you are actually adding to the bottom line.

The President believes that a working middle class is BETTER than a lay about bottom feeder.

I am shocked I tell you, shocked....

[sargon]

Notably, there is little political cost for Mr. Trump — in fact, potential benefit — in going after means-tested programs for the poor.

Means-tested programs for the poor also happen to benefit the poor as well; but I guess the NY Times is doesn't really care about that.

Apparently, the Times would rather have the current system, which creates more and more dependency of government and allows the Left to maintain and consolidate their control of a reliable voting bloc—which is all the Democrat party sees anyone in terms of...

[Hugin]

Well, for the editors of the NYT anything written by and about ordinary Americans in fly-over country is like a dispatch from a foreign correspondent.

[Jeff Chandler]

the entitlements of Social Security and Medicare

The government has looted my paycheck for 47 years with the promise of Social Security. They know better than to renege on that promise.

[AbolishCSEU]

Happened to glance up at the bulletin board in a Walmart’s Customer Service area and there was a poster with an assortment of politically correct faces with the slogan “Food Stamps Makes A Stronger America.” This poster was proudly flanked by two other posters stating that they take EBT.

Next time you’re in Walmart, go look for yourself.

[SkyPilot]

Universal Program for Subsidized Phones for Low Income (ObamaPhones), EBT Food Stamps (SNAP), ObamaCare Subsidies for Immigrants, ObamaCare Subsidies for Low Income, Medicaid, Section 8 Housing, Unemployment, TANF Welfare, Energy Assistance, EITC, Foster Care Title IV, Old Age Assistance, AFDC, General Assistance Cash, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Assets for Independence, School Lunch Assistance, General Assistance to Native Americans, Child Care Development Fund, SCHiP State Supplemental Health Insurance Program, Consolidated Health Centers, Foster Care Grants, Consolidated Community Health, Maternal and Child Health Assistance Fund, Healthy Start, School Lunch Block Grant, Job Assistance, Job Training, Minority Job Assistance, Job Relocation, Woman Infants and Children's Program, Nutrition for the Elderly, Summer Program, Summer Jobs Program, Minority Summer Jobs, Hispanic Jobs Program, African-American Jobs Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Special Milk Program, Needy Families, Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, Public Housing, Low Income Energy Assistance, Migrant Education, Title One Grants to Local Education Authorities, Education for Homeless Children and Youth, Even Start, Job Corps, Social Security Disability, Social Security for Refugees, Social Security for Humanitarian Cases, Social Security for Asylum, Health Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Grants, TANF Child Care, Empowerment Zones for Minority Communities, Urban Development Action Grants, and Family Planning (abortion).

[exDemMom]

The full article contains quite a bit of bias. The bias is hidden in the way it points out that middle class people receive no benefits while there are so many programs that give to the poor. It seems to imply that the middle class would be happy if the programs that give to the poor were extended to the middle class.

That is not what we want, though. We want the poor to work and contribute to the economy. Maybe, if the poor were working and paying taxes instead of drawing ever-increasing welfare benefits, there would be money to pay for those things that government actually should pay for—like fixing dams before they are on the point of collapsing.

I saw some quote from one of the founding fathers, along the lines that while the poor should be cared for, they should never be made comfortable in poverty (since comfort removes incentives to improve their lives). The Democrats want the poor to live lives of luxury, and that is why the middle class wants entitlement programs cut back.

[spintreebob]

“We want the poor to work and contribute to the economy.”

Bingo. The purpose of creating jobs is to get the poor off welfare. The reason to deport illegals and end h1b is to offer those jobs to citizens. The reason to improve education with parental choice is to give kids the education that makes hem employable.

Changing incentives is also needed to get the poor to work.

Currently welfare pays better than work. That must change.

Remove all taxes on the working poor. Remove both the employer’s share and employee’s share of SS, FICA and Medicare taxes. That is the same as raising the minimum wage with no negative impact the employer or consumer prices.

At the same time, cut back eligibility for SSI, for TANF, SNAP, EBT, and all welfare programs.

Yes, the government will lose tax revenue by allowing the working poor to keep their own money that they work hard for. So? So what? Whose money is it anyway, the governments?